Thanksgiving
by bionic4ever
Summary: Steve and Jaime's five children have grown up and chosen their own paths in life, but everyone will finally be together for Thanksgiving. Dedicated to Julie, with thanks of my own.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanksgiving**

Chapter One

Steve stood in the middle of the kitchen, watching Jaime flit from the oven to the prep counter to the refrigerator and back to the oven, and his heart swelled with the same love and tender pride that he'd felt since their wedding day, more than a quarter-century ago.

"Can I help, Sweetheart?" he offered for the third or fourth time.

"Got this down to a science," she said happily. She finished basting the turkey, took off her oven mitt and turned to embrace her husband. "But thank you. Oh, Steve, it'll be so wonderful, all of us together for Thanksgiving!"

"It's been a few years," he agreed.

"_Eight," _Jaime told him. "I counted." The first of those years, Steve had been overseas, on assignment. The next, James and Lauren were both clear across the country, in their Freshman year at USC and Berkley. The trend – someone always missing for the holiday – had continued, until today.

The Austins had all been planning for this very special day for the last two months. James, his wife and their daughter, were coming from New York. Lauren, living less than an hour away in Virginia, would – of course – be there. She'd let her father on in the secret that she'd be bringing a very special guest to surprise her mother, and Steve had helped her with the arrangements. Hannah, in her first year at Yale Law School, would be laden down with books but was also on her way. Jaime was the co-conspirator in this case, with Steve about to be surprised, because Hannah was also bringing her newest crush, a med student she'd met at Yale. Jaime knew this one had to be serious, if she was bringing him home to meet her parents. Jenna and Crystal, now Sophomores in college, were expected to be bounding through the front door any minute, as well. The house would once again be bursting at the seams, just like when the children were little, and Steve and Jaime were overjoyed.

They had just finished setting out cheese, crackers and bowls of snacks in the den when Jenna and Crystal nearly knocked each other over on their rush through the front door. Their parents had been concerned when the identical twins - who'd been side by side throughout childhood – had chosen the same college. Jaime and Steve had both suggested a separation, to allow each twin to establish their own individual identity. They needn't have worried; the two girls who barrelled in to hug them couldn't have been more different.

Crystal, the more athletic of the pair, now wore her hair shoulder-length and was dressed in new, dark blue jeans and a college polo. Jenna had kept her hair long, softly curled, and wore khakis and a light tan blouse. They'd remained extremely close, sharing a dorm room, but no one would mistake one for the other any longer.

"Crystal has _news_!" Jenna bubbled as they all sat down together.

Her twin slugged Jenna in the arm. "News **_I_** get to tell."

"So tell, then – or I will!" Jenna turned to her parents, so excited that she nearly bounced in her seat. "This is so great! You're gonna love it - just wait 'til you hear!"

Steve smiled; some things apparently never changed. "I'm sure we will, as soon as you let your sister share the news."

"Sorry."

"I...finally chose a major," Crystal said, suddenly shy. Her parents stayed silent, giving her the full spotlight of their attention. "Education. I want to teach."

Jaime's eyes misted over as she embraced her daughter. A year earlier, they'd actually been estranged; it had been Crystal who'd been missing from the previous Thanksgiving dinner. The summer before the twins left for college, right after they'd turned eighteen, Jaime and Steve had sat down with them and fully explained the reason behind 'Uncle Oscar' visiting as often as he had, before they'd both (for the most part) retired. The 'fluke' abilities the twins had witnessed through the years were fully explained, as well, and the girls had listened quietly and intently to their parents words. Later that night, Jaime had found Crystal sobbing in her bed, feeling betrayed at not having been told sooner. She'd resented both parents deeply, for many months, before being slowly and gradually dragged back into the family fold by her sisters and brother. Jaime's relief at the suddenly renewed closeness with her daughter was beyond words. Steve merely smiled with happiness; he'd known all along that mother and daughter would eventually have a full emotional reunion, although the Education major was a pleasant surprise for him, as well.

Everyone was just settling back into their seats, still chattering happily, when Hannah arrived, a quiet, shy knock announcing her entrance. As she stood in the doorway to the den, a very handsome young man stood beside her, holding her hand. Jaime, who'd known he was coming, was thrown for a loop by something she couldn't quite put her finger on. "So this is Daniel," she said, smiling to put her daughter and the young man at ease.

Steve was stunned, needing to know exactly who had obviously become so close to his daughter. Steve had always been a bit extra-protective of Hannah, since she was the only Austin child without a twin's support to lean on. Both parents rose quickly, followed by Jenna and Crystal, to meet the new man in Hannah's life.

"Mom, Dad, this is Daniel," she told them proudly. "Daniel Marchetti."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_Marchetti?_ Jaime and Steve exchanged a quick glance, each worried about the other's reaction. None of their children had ever heard the name _Michael Marchetti. _Once Jaime had chosen Steve over Michael, the young doctor who'd saved her life had faded out of the picture quickly and completely. This had to be a very bizarre coincidence in an extremely small world. Hannah looked so happy and so hopeful that they didn't have the heart to be anything but jovial and welcoming to Daniel.

Hannah tried to divide her attention between catching up with her sisters and helping Daniel through the expected interrogation from her parents, but they seemed to be comfortable together – the three most important people in her life, who were just getting to know each other. Her parents asked Daniel about his background (his father was a surgeon, his mother was deceased) his education (his internship would begin in the spring) and his plans (he wanted to open a family practice), before Steve finally asked the question that was on both of their minds.

"Are you any relation to Michael Marchetti?"

Daniel looked surprised. "You know my father?"

"We knew him many years ago," Jaime explained, feeling her husband's body grow instantly tense next to her. "How's he doing these days?"

"He's a brain surgeon," Daniel told them, "living down in Texas. They offered him the Chief of Staff position a few years back, but he turned them down. Said he'd rather keep doing what he knew best, since he'd spent most of his life perfecting his techniques."

"Has he met Hannah yet?" Steve asked, a little too suspiciously.

"We plan to fly down there together, the day after Christmas."

A bell went off in the kitchen, and Jaime rose to her feet. "Time to baste the turkey again. Excuse me."

Steve got up, as well. "I'll put the pies in for you," he said, following his wife into the kitchen. When they were out of earshot of the 'kids' in the den, Steve had plenty he needed to say.

"Well, that's great. Marchetti finally found a way to infiltrate back into our lives, after twenty-five years."

Jaime rubbed butter over the turkey, basted it with pan juices and turned around to embrace her husband. "Steve, you really don't believe Michael had something to do with our kids happening to get together...do you?"

"I wouldn't put anything past him."

"Steve -"

"He was in love with you."

"Maybe a _very_ long time ago -"

"And he's single now."

"Your point being...what?"

Steve had never once doubted Jaime's love for him; they'd been a team far too long for those thoughts to creep in. Still, he had to ask. "Jaime, do you ever regret..." He was unable to finish.

"Marrying you, and not Michael?"

"Yeah. Do you ever wish -"

"Not for one second – _not ever_." As if to emphasize the point, she kissed him with the kind of energy and passion that would've led to much more if their family wasn't gathering in the den. Another car – this one long and black – was pulling into the driveway as they went back to join the others.

While they walked down the hallway, Steve leaned close to Jaime to whisper in her ear. "Gotta admit, if Hannah were to marry Daniel, family gatherings would never be boring."

Jaime chuckled. "We have never in our lives had a boring family get-together." Punctuating that comment was Jaime's cry of delight when she caught sight of the man who was coming up the sidewalk with Lauren. "Oscar!"

"Surprise!" Steve told her as she sped out the door, hugging Oscar tightly before he'd even reached the porch.

"Hi, Babe," the older man said softly. He'd held up amazingly well through the years, his hair still the same salt-and-pepper color it'd been when he'd been Steve and Jaime's boss. His face remained unwrinkled, except for the worry lines that Jaime had always sworn Oscar must've been born with.

"It's so good to see you!" Jaime enthused, breaking the embrace only when her eldest daughter cleared her throat.

"Yo, Mom...no hello for your daughter?" Lauren asked teasingly.

When Jaime broke away from Oscar, he was nearly bowled over by the rush of Austin offspring jockeying to be the next to hug him, with three excited voices calling "Uncle Oscar!" and vying for his attention. He called Jenna and Crystal by each other's names, just as he had when they were small, even though he'd been able to tell them apart for many years now. Oscar also couldn't help but notice the young man who stood just inside the front door.

"Hello, Daniel," Oscar said as he stepped inside and shook hands with Hannah's date. He shot Jaime and Steve a quick, questioning glance as everyone herded back toward the den. They returned the look with raised eyebrows, wondering just how well Oscar knew Michael's son. There would be plenty of time to talk later.

"James isn't here yet?" Lauren asked, looking forward to seeing her twin. She had something very important to tell her parents, and since she'd (of course) talked it over thoroughly with James as she was coming to her decision, Lauren was hoping for his support when she tried to convince her parents that the idea was a good one.

She would need all the help she could get.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"_Absolutely not!_" Steve told his daughter firmly. "_No way, Lauren; it's out of the question!_"

"Lauren, after everything you watched your father and I go through over the years, why -?" Jaime, in a very rare occurrence, was struck speechless.

Oscar, the fourth member of this kitchen conference, sat silently, waiting for a break in the storm. He was trying his best to remain neutral, knowing Lauren was more than capable of presenting her case without his help.

"You can't even begin to count the number of times your mother and I were hurt – hospitalized – and nearly killed!" Steve sputtered.

"I also know all the good you did, for the country and for the government. You...you're both heroes, dozens of times over," Lauren told them.

"There are other ways to be heroic, Honey," Steve insisted. "Nursing, medical research, law, teaching...this isn't the way for you."

"It is," Lauren said patiently. "I'd be damn good at it; you have to admit that."

"That's irrelevant," Steve argued, marveling at how much Lauren reminded him of Jaime at the same age. "Oscar, how much did you have to do with this? 'Cause recruiting our daughter – that's pretty low."

"I didn't recruit her, Pal. You know me better than that," Oscar explained patiently. "Lauren came to me with a very effective presentation of her skills and her goals, and I did offer her a place in our Training and Development program, but only contingent on your approval – yours and Jaime's."

Steve shook his head. "Then I'm sorry, but the answer is no. You've had two Austins working under your wing, and there will be no more operatives coming out of _my_ family."

"Steve," Jaime began, treading very lightly, "Lauren has a good head on her shoulders. She's intelligent _and_ smart, with good, solid common sense and values, and -"

"Yes, I know – she's just like her mother. That's why the answer is no."

"Dad," Lauren protested, "I could've gone to the NSB or even the FBI and been accepted without needing your permission or even your approval. I chose the OSI because I knew that with Uncle Oscar - I mean _Oscar - _behind me, I'd be as safe as this profession allows."

"Which is zero percent safe, Lauren, even under the best of circumstances. I won't allow my daughter to put herself in the line of fire."

"Steve -" both Jaime and Oscar said at the same second. Oscar let Jaime carry the ball. "If Lauren was telling us she wanted to be a prison guard or a construction worker or even a soldier, we wouldn't tell her no. We don't have the right to dictate her future."

Steve silently absorbed his wife's words. As usual, he knew she was right. "I'll...give it more thought," he conceded.

Lauren, knowing this was his way of giving in while still saving face, hugged him tightly. "Thank you Dad." She turned toward Jaime. "You, too, Mom."

The chime of the doorbell announced the arrival of their remaining family members. James, Susan and baby Rose were already engulfed by Austins, but it was like the parting of the Red Sea when Jaime approached, since everyone wanted to watch her hold and coo at her granddaughter.

"You're a natural at that, _Grandma," _Steve told her with a wicked but loving grin. "Makes me think maybe we should have another one ourselves."

Before Jaime had a chance to respond, five Austin heads whirled in Steve's direction, and five voices cried out in perfect unison: "**_NO_**!"

- - - - - -

_**Five Years Later**..._

The house that, in previous years, had been filled to the rafters was going to burst at the seams this Thanksgiving. Lauren arrived first, eager to share with her parents all the details of her latest overseas assignment. Her sisters and brother believed she was an executive assistant with an international import firm, but she could tell Steve and Jaime anything, since they still had security clearances.

"...so we got the weapons system back into the proper hands, with no bloodshed."

"Honey, I'm so proud of you!" Jaime gushed happily.

"Remind you of anyone?" Steve asked, giving his wife a wink and a nudge. Jaime opened both eyes wide, feigning innocence.

Lauren laughed. "Oscar says it's the Austin blood in my veins, that I'm a product of my upbringing."

"Hope that's a compliment," Steve told her.

"Is everyone coming again this year?"

Jaime nodded eagerly. "James and Susan are bringing Rose, Lily and Mark. Hannah and Daniel are bringing Steven Michael - Daniel's father will be here, too - and Jenna and Crystal are bringing each other."

"Great! Oh, Oscar said to tell you he and his new wife will be here in plenty of time for dinner," Lauren added.

"I can't believe he's really retired," Jaime mused. "I'd have sworn he'd still be working cases and tossing files around for at least another ten or twenty years."

Lauren shrugged. "Me too. It was really a shock, but I think Mary had a lot to do with it."

Steve's arm drew Jaime closer. "Having the right partner makes all the difference in the world." He kissed his wife softly, and they headed outside to the porch, to await their family.

END


End file.
